5 ways to use a concealer

Ever time-poor, we rely on multi-purpose products to maximise our precious getting ready minutes and the limited space in our beauty bags. So when we heard about Dior Fix-It, a multi-purpose concealer, we wondered if it was worth the £23.50 price tag.

So, can you use it to hide the usual shadows and blemishes, as a 'skin perfector' PLUS primer and for contouring? It seemed a tall order, but as you'll see – you can! Online Beauty Editor Bridget transformed her face with nothing but the concealer, mascara and lipstick. Here's how:

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EYES:

1. To conceal dark circles

To help hide dark circles and softens fine lines around the eyes (instead of accentuate them, which a cakey concealer can), apply it underneath the eye, starting from the inner corner and a third of the way along the orbital bone. Then add a touch to the outer corner of the eye – especially if you have shadows there like me – and blend into the skin with the ring finger using a light patting motion. You can also use this method as a corrector for makeup imperfections that crop up throughout the day.

2. To smooth and prime eyelids for makeup

To brighten the eyelid (which in my case can look quite red) and increase the longevity and colour pay off of your eye shadow, apply the concealer over the upper eyelid straight from the bullet and blend with the ring finger, lightly rolling it into the skin to smooth. Tip: For a lighter coverage apply onto the ring finger first and then pat onto the area you want to correct and prime.

FACE:

3. To blur 'imperfections'

Key areas to focus on are pimples, pigmentation and redness. Smooth the concealer over these areas, then pat the texture lightly with the ring finger to blend. It helps that the centre of the stick is enriched with a soft focus powder, which blurs skin texture and around this centre is a high coverage tinted formula that camouflages colour irregularities.

4. To contour

Using two different shades of concealer makes sculpting your face shape child's play. To highlight and lift the bone structure, apply a light shade to the high points of the face; the centre panel, from the forehead, over the nose and cupids bow, finishing at the centre of the chin and underneath the apples of the cheeks to lift them. Next to define and sculpt, apply a dark shade along the hairline and out towards the temples. Follow underneath the cheekbones, along the lower jawline, underneath the lower lip and finishing with a fine line either side the bridge of the nose. Blend using your fingertips in a patting and smoothing motion and lightly polish with a powder brush for a seamless result. Tip: For a longer lasting result, fix with a light dusting of translucent powder.

LIPS:

5. To prime your lips

To smooth lines and neutralise your lip colour pre-lipstick, apply a light amount using the ring finger, in gentle patting movements over the pout. This will give a stronger colour pay off from your lipstick, extending its staying power and ensuring it won't bleed. Tip: Lightly blot the concealer with the tissue to remove any excess if necessary.

THE FINISHED RESULTS:

While the contouring method gives heavier results than I normally get with powder products, given that I was only using one formula on my entire face (and Fix-It is lightweight, not cakey) my makeup didn't feel heavy or thick. I'll definitely employ these new techniques for priming on top of my traditional concealing routine - and this do-it-all wonder has definitely earned pride of place in my makeup bag.

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